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First project - any advice for keeping to scale?

Hello all!

I am new to the site. Amazing site, by the way.

I am about to indulge on my first map project. The thing is it is ginormous. It is/was a campaign map that is rough 40x32inches. It it was hand drawn originally and to scale and everything. I have scanned it in and am working with the scan file to make it look beautiful in color and and all of that.

I liked Pasi's map tutorial a lot so I am going to try and use that for this project. The original was done on hexagonal paper and is to scale at 10 miles per hexagaon. I didn't draw the original, but I am creating this full scale, full color, map so that I can print it out and give it to the original artist as a gift.

I am fairly new to photoshop, but I Just got CS5 a couple weeks ago. I have some experience with Fireworks and other graphic programd and etc, so I'm not a total newb. BUt I am also doing this to learn photoshop as well. Already having a blast doing it, and playing around with stuff.

So in a nutshell, do you have any tips/tricks/advice as far as working on HUGE sized maps as opposed to smaller ones to get the best results?

If you're going to approach printer quality DPI, then you are going to need a good comp to handle such a large map.

With such a large map, you won't be able to do everything in one sitting, so I would make sure and write down the exact steps for everything you create, that way you don't have to keep everything in your head.

This is the original (i scaled it down pretty small) of what I am working with. ATM I am just practicing techniques on the very north upper island before i indulge on the mainland.

I actually work for like some graphics/copy/scan company so i was able to scan the original drawing for free no problem. So im pretty sure i can print it out in color for free at some point (need some perk for working i guess)....they can scan anything is 36" wide or less.

Kay, first off, that is an awesome map and it looks like it'll be a really cool project. Second, I'm jealous of your ability to print out large format color prints for free. Those prints can get expensive very quickly.

Alright I have my first sample/work done. Am looking for critiques and advice on how to polish a couple things up . . . .

First - this is the whole map (as posted above)

I first worked on the Large island located north of the main land, this is the original drawing up close...

Now, here is the above outlines, over the map i have created.
If you notice from the original, there are single peak hexes, those are supposed to be the full out mountain ranges. The several peaks are mountainous/rocky terrain.

and just the straight up photoshop file

Some personal notes/tweaks/fixes I want to do:
-I will make the rivers significantly thinner and try to merge/mesh them with the ocean more seamlessly.
-The ocean - currently it was just kind of what i was playing around with, may change if i finding something better ( i like the water in Saderan's map, but I haven't really dabbled into that tutorial yet ).
-The mountains - I definitely think they need some work, how would YOU paint the mountains if you were doing this map, would it like something i have currently? Maybe i should use a larger brush on the 3rd mountain layer (from Pasi's technique)?

-I have yet to dabble into any cities, grasslands, and real fine detail work. I mostly just wanted to make sure that I'd be capable of doing it in the first place, and with these amazing guides (Pasi) its definitely going to happen. working with the mountains is probably the most difficult part.